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Kjelshus proudly notes that when this job was done, his company had 100% of its technicians certified by North American Technician Excellence (NATE). Since completion of this job, he has hired an additional technician fresh from trade school, and that technician will take the core NATE certification test within 90 days of being hired, per the company's employment agreement

"I can't stress enough the value of NATE certification," says Kjelshus, who is a member of the NATE board. "Working with excellent technicians makes it much easier to produce excellent results."

Challenges From a Cold Snap
The job was not without its challenges. During home construction and system installation, the Kansas City area was hit with a brutal cold snap. Kjelshus' team had just finished sealing all the ductwork with mastic, but temperatures were so cold that the mastic froze and broke into pieces overnight. The team had to scrape off all the mastic and reapply it when the weather warmed up a little. "That cost us five hours," Kjelshus says.

It also snowed. A lot. "Our installation vehicles got stuck in the home's driveway three times, which wasted another four hours," he adds.

The biggest challenge — and the one that added 11 additional hours to the timesheet — came in battles with the carpenters. "We had to make the 22-in. x 8-in. ductwork fit in the truss floor, but the rough the carpenters put in didn't line up properly, and we spent a lot of time going back and forth to get that right," according to Kjelshus.

The joys of working simultaneously with other trades didn't end there. When Kjelshus arrived to perform the testing and commissioning on the completed system, the floor finisher wouldn't let him in for four hours.

A Wish for the Future
Ultimately, however, Kjelshus and his team overcame. They prevailed against man and nature, and designed a system worthy of praise from a homeowner who is both a certified home energy rater and a LEED AP.

"If other contractors can take one lesson away from Eric and they work he did at my home, I think that lesson is to take pride in their work and not just go cheap and fast," Walker says.

For his part, Kjelshus was unfazed by any additional pressure one might have felt, given the homeowner’s title. "It was a pleasure to work in a home this well-constructed with a homeowner this knowledgeable," he says. "I wish all jobs could be like this."

PRODUCT KEYS TO SUCCESS

• Ruud ULTRA RHPL Series 3-ton variable speed air handler
• Honeywell F300 electronic air cleaner
• Honeywell Vision Pro thermostat
• Lifebreath energy recovery ventilator